They talk about the war cautiously in Turkey, support Erdogan and hope for a better future.

Türkiye, home to about 85 million people, is at the center of a volatile region. In the north it borders with Russia and Ukraine, in the east with Iran, and in the south with Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Israel.

The sad call of the muezzin becomes the backdrop to political discussions on a Friday evening in a restaurant on the banks of the Bosphorus. The air is cool, the fish is fresh, and the conversations are lively and interesting.

“I predict something bad will happen next year,” said one entrepreneur, who did not want to be named. “We Turks can only see the future, but have no concrete plan.”

Huddled together in the face of an uncertain future, Turkish businessmen and diplomats are discussing possible developments in the region over the next year.